The Mogao Caves of Dunhuang

The Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang, China has been a treasure house of art, spanning over 1,000 years.  In each and every one of its 492 Buddhist cave chapels, you will find floor-to-ceiling paintings and clay sculptures as it was previously used for devotions and meditation. The art inside here covers more than ten major genres, such as architecture, stucco sculpture, wall paintings, silk paintings, calligraphy, woodblock printing, embroidery, literature, music and dance, and popular entertainment. But all these only existed because of one man’s vision. Welcome to China, Chinatourguide.com is pleasure to provide service for your China tours, We also provide Thailand tour packages or Cambodia tour packages.

 
Illustrated in color throughout, Cave Temples of Mogao combines lavish photographs of the caves and their art with the fascinating history of Mogao, Dunhuang, and the Silk Road to create a vivid portrait of this remarkable site. Chapters discuss the development of the cave temples, the iconography of the wall paintings, and the extraordinary story of the rare manuscripts, including the oldest printed book in existence, a ninth-century copy of the Diamond Sutra. The book also describes the long-term collaboration between the Getty Conservation Institute and Chinese authorities in conservation projects at Mogao as well as the caves and the museum that can be visited today. The publication of this book coincides with the centenary of the discovery of the manuscripts in the Library Cave.

The first Tantric themes appear at the time of the occupation of Dunhuang by the Tibetans, from 790 to 851. Following the conquest of Gansu by the Tanguts, these themes multiplied, encouraged by the proliferation of lama sects under the Western Xia (1036-1227). With this same invasion in 1036 correspond the 45,000 manuscripts discovered in 1900 by the Taoist monk Wang Yuan-lu (Wang Guolu) in a cave where they had been hidden at the approach of the Ta nguts. Although dispersed, this fabulous collection is one of the essential sources of Asian history.

The Dianchi Lake Scenic Area is located in the southwest part of Kunming City

The Dianchi Lake Scenic Area is located in the southwest part of Kunming City. Dianchi Lake is, beyond question, the center of the resort. There are numerous attractions along the lake captivating tourists. Among these are the Yunnan Ethnic Villages, Grand View Park (Daguan Park), White Fish Park (Baiyukou Park), Haigeng Bank, Kwan-yin Hill, Western Hills Forest Park, temples and pagodas. Towns, big or small near the lake provide visitors with an opportunity to experience customs of the local people.

 
The lake is about 25 miles (40 km) from north to south, 8 miles (13 km) wide, and 25 feet (8 metres) deep. The mountains rise steeply from the eastern and western shores, but to the north is an extensive alluvial plain, which has been intensively irrigated since the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty (1279–1368) and the early part of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Before that time the region was under Chinese influence only for limited periods of time. The area was settled by sedentary agricultural peoples as early as the 2nd century bc. It was successively the centre of the independent state of Dian, which became tributary to the Han dynasty (206 bc–ad 220) after 109 bc, and of the states of Nanchao (8th–10th century), Dali (10th–13th century), and Houli (11th–13th century). Welcome to China, Chinatourguide.com is pleasure to provide service for your China tours, We also provide Thailand tour packages or Cambodia tour packages.

In order to preserve the environment of Dian Lake, the Kunming city government enstated the “Dian Lake Protection Act” in 1998. The objective was to improve water quality and reduce pollution. This act was modified and re-enstated in 20134. According to the new terms, the government regulates the sewage discharge and also is responsible for setting up a special fund to administer the ecological compensation. The purpose is not only to reduce water pollution in Dian Lake, but also to restore its original natural appearance.